In Illinois, Workers’ Compensation cases have dropped dramatically in the last 2 years.
This is based on the number of cases filed with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission and from the drop off in the number of unrepresented injured workers settling their cases at dockets throughout Illinois.
Here are some educated guesses about why the cases have decreased.
The economy is still down. So the number of people who are working and may be injured on the job has decreased.
If you are injured, then you may be afraid that you will lose your job if you file a claim.
Insurance companies are taking advantage of uninformed people and telling them that their case has no value or that they have no case at all.
Here is what you can do if you are injured.
Make sure you report your injury to your supervisor.
You cannot be fired for reporting your injury and any related safety issues.
OSHA protects you.
Illinois law also protects you from discrimination if you file a Workers’ Compensation claim.
Make sure that you review anything the insurance company tells you with an experienced Workers’ Compensation Attorney.
There is no cost to review your case. A lawyer is only paid at the end of your case if they recover for you.
You may be leaving money on the table if you do not follow up on what the insurance company tells you.
Questions about your work injury? Feel free to contact Illinois Workers’ Compensation Attorney Dirk May at 309-827-4371.